As one of the most talked about wide receiver recruits in the 2008 class, it was only a matter of time before Southern Miss wide receiver DeAndre Brown had his breakout game.

The 6-6, 228-pound receiver put on a clinic during a Week 8 loss to Rice as he totaled 12 catches for 221 yards and four touchdowns (8, 16, 17, 42). The four scores were a new school record and the 12 receptions were good enough for second.

"DeAndre is a very competitive young man," head coach Larry Fedora said. "We have to make sure we get him into the forward game earlier in the game, because he can continually make plays for us."

Most of the publicity among true freshman wide receivers has gone toward Georgia's A.J. Green and Julio Jones at Alabama. It's no surprise seeing how you can't turn the corner without someone talking about the SEC. But for Fantasy purposes, it's Brown that's the class of the trio.

Brown has managed 36 catches for 637 yards and seven touchdowns in his first seven games. Green is the closest with 36 catches for 573 yards and four touchdowns, and Jones trails the pack with 22 catches for 341 yards and four touchdowns.

Brown hails from Ocean Springs, Miss., and was named a Parade All-American after catching 15 touchdown passes as a senior. He had 35 touchdowns over his last three high school seasons while also playing full-time on defense. He was generally regarded as a five-star prospect by the elite recruiting services and a top 25 player as well.

The touchdown-hound could have gone anywhere in the country, but he decided to trust Fedora, who hadn't even coached a game for Southern Miss yet, and move up the road to Hattiesburg, Miss.

Regarded by many as the top contender for Conference USA Newcomer of the Year, Brown has hardly disappointed in the early part of his career. He has three games with eight or more catches, four games with at least one score and two 100-yard games.

Brown's staggering presence has also helped Austin Davis acclimate in his first season as Southern Miss' starting quarterback. Fedora believes the relationship between two of his star freshman will keep Brown on the national radar.

"I think Austin looks for him more in situations, especially if something breaks down, he looks for DeAndre down the field," Fedora said. "He knows now that DeAndre doesn't have to be wide open for him to be open. That's something that you learn, a trust between a receiver and a quarterback. That is a trust that is built between two players over repetition."

Fantasy Pretender or Contender

Iowa running back Shonn Greene played a huge role in his team's 38-16 Week 8 win Wisconsin as he pummeled the Badgers for 217 rushing yards and four touchdowns (12, 34, 34, 52).

Greene is one of those feel good football stories. After having to attend prep school coming out of high school and then making little impact in his first two college seasons, Greene was not with Iowa in 2007 because of academic issues. He worked hard to rectify the situation at Kirkwood Community College and returned to Iowa this summer.

Greene returned just in time as Iowa needed a backfield presence after losing Albert Young and Damian Sims to graduation. Greene has answered the call for Iowa as he has rushed for more than 100 yards in each of the first eight games and has 1,154 total rushing yards. He also has scored at least once in seven of eight games and has 10 total scores.

Iowa does have some tough competition left on the docket, including Penn State and Minnesota, but Greene has already shredded some elite run defenses (Wisconsin, Northwestern, Pittsburgh, Michigan State) and Iowa loves to run the ball.

Fantasy Take: Contender

Fantasy Walk-on of the Week

Marshall's Cody Slate (owned 32 percent of leagues) came into the season as the reigning Conference USA first-team honoree at tight end. However, he didn’t look the part with just two catches for 22 yards in his first three games.

Slate was battling a knee injury sustained in the opener and had to miss two games before suiting up against Southern Miss on Sept. 20. He had a touchdown in his first game back and hasn't slowed down since. He has 17 catches for 249 yards and three touchdowns in the four games since returning from injury.

The middle of the field has opened up again for Slate since wide receiver Darius Passmore has been so good on the outside. Slate is a nice check-off option for quarterback Mark Cann and continues to be a threat in the red zone.

Injury Notes

Arizona State quarterback Rudy Carpenter used his team's bye in Week 8 to recover from a sprained left ankle and is now listed as probable for Saturday's tilt with Oregon ... Arkansas running back Michael Smith left in the fourth quarter of Saturday's loss to Kentucky with a concussion and is being listed as questionable for Week 9 vs. Mississippi ... Bowling Green wide receiver Freddie Barnes missed the second half of Saturday's loss to Miami (Ohio) with a knee injury. The team has him questionable for Week 9 against Northern Illinois ... Cal running back Jahvid Best returned from a dislocated left elbow to rush for 107 yards and one touchdown Week 8 against Arizona. He is back on the injury report Week 9 against UCLA, but is just probable with a sore elbow ... Central Michigan was without star quarterback Dan LeFevour during Saturday's 38-28 win against Western Michigan because of a sprained right knee. He is expected back for Week 9's game against Toledo ... Kentucky running back Derrick Locke is expected to miss the remainder of the season after tearing his MCL and ACL in Week 8 ... New Mexico State wide receiver Marcus Anderson is nursing a knee injury and is questionable for Saturday's game against Idaho ... Oklahoma star wide receiver Manuel Johnson suffered a devastating injury in Week 8 against Kansas when he dislocated his left elbow in the first half and could miss a few weeks. He is listed as doubtful for Saturday's game against Kansas State ... Texas A&M running back Mike Goodson has popped up on Week 9's injury report with a sprained MCL. He is being listed as questionable for Saturday's game against Iowa State ... Southern Cal held running back Joe McKnight out of a Week 8 thumping against Washington State because of a toe injury in hopes of him being ready for Week 9 against Arizona. However, he is still being listed as questionable ... Wake Forest kicker Sam Swank missed a second straight game in Week 8 against Maryland because of a quad injury and his status remains up in the air heading into Week 9 against Miami (Fla.) ... West Virginia quarterback Patrick White has had two weeks to rest from a head injury after sitting out Week 7 against Syracuse and then being on a bye last week. He is probable for Thursday's game against Auburn ... It has been another trying season for Wisconsin running back P.J. Hillbecause of injuries and he is questionable for Saturday's game against Illinois with a left ankle injury.

Schools playing Non-FBS teams

An important note to remember in College Fantasy Football is that players are assessed a 25 percent penalty when a FBS team plays a FCS team (formerly Division I-AA). Therefore, if you own a player on a team listed below, you will only get 75 percent of their Fantasy points for the upcoming week:

No game scheduled against FCS teams

Five Players to Start

Andre Anderson, RB, Tulane: The junior tailback ranks fourth in the nation in rushing (142.0 ypg) and is starting to fill the void left by Matt Forte, who rushed for 2,000 yards last season. The Green Wave play Rice in Week 9. The Owls rank 101st against the run (192.3 ypg) and have allowed 18 rushing touchdowns. Anderson should be fresh coming off the bye and well rested since rushing for 255 yards and two touchdowns against UTEP Week 7.

Gartrell Johnson, RB, Colorado State: The senior running back has been on his game lately with 316 rushing yards and four touchdowns in his last three games. He should enjoy another solid day on the ground Week 9 against San Diego State. The Aztecs rank dead last in run defense, allowing 292.3 yards per game. They have also allowed 24 rushing scores.

Chris Williams, WR, New Mexico State: After a rather pedestrian start to the season by his standards, Williams has three straight 100-yard games and is coming off a 12-catch outing against San Jose State. He and quarterback Chase Holbrook finally seem to be on the same page again. Williams should have continued success in Week 9 as the Aggies play Idaho. The Vandals are allowing 254.2 passing yards per game (101st) and have yielded 22 touchdowns. Heck, Fantasy owners might also want to start Holbrook.

Jimmy Clausen, QB, Notre Dame: As one of the most hyped recruits in recent years, Clausen finally seems to be rounding into shape under Charlie Weis. The sophomore quarterback is coming off two straight 300-yard games and has 14 touchdown passes in six games. The Washington Huskies -- Notre Dame's Week 9 opponent -- don't exactly pose a huge threat. UW has the 117th ranked total defense (483.0 ypg), 115th ranked scoring defense (40.67) and have allowed 18 passing touchdowns.

Todd Reesing, QB, Kansas: After a breakout 2007 season, Reesing has picked up where he left off in 2008. He has five games with 300 or more passing yards and 19 total touchdowns (17) in seven games. Week 9 could be a real shootout for Kansas going up against Texas Tech. The Red Raiders have allowed just seven passing touchdowns this season, but are allowing 258.6 passing yards per game (103rd).

Five Players to Bench

Terrelle Pryor, QB, Ohio State: Pryor, everyone's favorite freshman quarterback, has really done a solid job since taking over the reigns under center. Ohio State has won five straight under his guidance and roll into a Week 9 matchup against Penn State on a high. Well, this will be one of Pryor's toughest challenges to date outside of Southern Cal. Penn State ranks sixth in scoring defense (11.75 ppg) and eighth in total defense (263.25 ypg). Running back Chris Wells might have to shoulder the load in order for Ohio State to pull the upset.

Kenny Britt, WR, Rutgers: Britt ranks seventh in the country in receptions per game (7.67) and 18th in receiving yards per game (95.17). He and quarterback Mike Teel are finally clicking after a slow start to the season. Britt has 25 catches in his last three games and two 100-yard contests. His luck could run out in Week 9 against Pittsburgh. The Panthers rank 10th in pass defense (156.5 ypg) and held Britt to three catches last season.

Aaron Hernandez, TE, Florida: Hernandez is second at UF in receptions per game (3.0) behind Percy Harvin. However, his production has been kind of weak lately with just four catches for 20 yards in his last two games. He figures to have a hard time against Kentucky in Week 9 as the Wildcats rank second in pass efficiency defense (90.1) and ninth in pass defense (155.7 ypg).

Darren Evans, RB, Virginia Tech: Evans had a touchdown in each of Tech's first six games and eight total. Well, he was kept out of the end zone in Week 8 against Boston College and held to 27 yards on 17 carries. It's not going to get any easier this week against Florida State, as the Seminoles are allowing just 79.5 rushing yards per game (7th) and have surrendered just two rushing touchdowns.

Nicolas Grigsby, RB, Arizona: Grigsby is averaging 89.6 rushing yards per game, which is good enough to rank 34th nationally. He has also found the end zone nine times on the ground. He received only one carry Week 8 against California and was benched the final three quarters because of a coach's decision. Grigsby should be back in the lineup Week 9 against Southern Cal, but he shouldn't be in your Fantasy lineup. The Trojans have the No. 1 scoring defense (7.8 ppg) and are allowing just 83.7 rushing yards per game (8th).